Effects of non-thermal treatments on goat whey protein allergenicity: A study based on conformational and linear epitopes

This study focused on the effects of various non-thermal treatments on the antigenicity of goat milk whey protein (GWP), and the mechanism of reducing antigenicity was also discussed from the perspective of conformation epitope and linear epitope. The optimal reduction rate of antigenicity was 38.83% for β-Lg and 29.27% for α-La after 600MPa/30 min of ultra-high pressure (UHP) treatment. Non-thermal treatments not only changed the structure of GWP, but also increased or decreased the number, exposure degree and antigen binding rate of antigenicity peptides. Three kinds of non-thermal treatments reduced the GWP antigenicity by different mechanisms. UHP and PEF treatments reduced antigenicity mainly through altering conformational epitopes, while CP treatment reduced antigenicity by both altering conformational epitopes and decreasing antigenicity peptides. This result provided new ideas and technologies to reduce milk protein antigenicity. • Ultra-high pressure, pulsed electric field and cold plasma (UHP/PEF/CP) were used. • UHP/PEF/CP reduced the antigenicity of whey protein. • Particle size and random coil played a key role in reducing allergenicity by UHP. • Reduced-antigenicity by PEF was more closely related to conformation. • CP reduced allergenicity peptide number and binding probability of antibody.